Tuesday, 2 May 2017

'What trial lessons are Caelon attending?' Daddy-O asked numerous times but I couldn't give him a definte answer each time & simply asked him to take a look at the link that I had sent him. Actually, I wasn't very sure either..hee ;)

The classes conducted at The Little Executive (TLE) are not exactly the main stream types like "right-brain" training, brain development or languages classes. As BB went in for his first class, we had to sit in for "ours" too. Not exactly a class per-se but it was definitely an eye-opener for us. We were introduced to a summarised journey of what C was experiencing down the corridor...

Looks may be deceiving for what lies within an unassuming exterior is an academy that is dedicated towards a "Learning Revolution". Built on 3 Pillars of a "Growth Mindset", "Learning DNA", and "Executive Function Skills", kids are encouraged to embark on a journey of self-discovery, achieved nevertheless through doing what they enjoy most - play.

This is where the hallmark TLE Approach is best exemplified:

Using a variety of methods and techniques that have been either cleverly woven into activities and games, kids learn how to learn through play. For example, reciting the colours / numbers off a chart to the beat of a metronome seems pretty straightforward, right? However, the difficulty level is raised when you're required to replace a certain colour / number with your name. Another name can be added to further up the challenge. We each had a go at it & it really isn't as easy as u think it is ;p This game actually trains kids in their working memory, develop their focus as well as how to block out distractions like the beating of the metronome.

While most learning centres would typically focus on the end result through rote learning, either proudly adding on to their ranks of "academic overachievers" or contributing to a significant improvement of grades, TLE has found that interestingly, IQ alone is not a sufficient predictor of success in life later on. The Growth Mindset is of utmost importance too!

As a SAHM, I've the privilege of spending more time with my boy. One thing I've noticed is his lack of perseverance. He tends to give up easily & will start whining or throw tantrums whenever he meets minor setbacks in the course of playing or learning. Naturally, I'll always encourage him to think out of the box to try to solve the problem while guiding him along. He has shown some improvements in this aspect but he still needs constant reminders. Thus, with the right attitude, I believe he'll definitely achieve more.

At the end of the first lesson, the teacher actually sat us down to explain to us the 'result' of the Executive Assessment. When we were being shown the skill sets earlier on, we already knew which areas BB are weak in. The assessment was spot on! Attention span, the ability to contol his impulses by self-monitoring & his social-emotional areas all need to be worked on. Even previous feedbacks from his nursery teachers revealed the exact same weaknesses.

Bobo bear is given to every kid to teach them about responsibility as they're supposed to bring it

along for every lesson ;)

The learning objective for every week is also handwritten by every Little Executive for their

commitment.

The following analogy was also shared with us by Ms Michelle Choy, Co-founder:

Having more taps to fill up a basin with leaks, does little to retain the water - it would simply flow out of the basin. However, plugging the leaks would result in the basin being filled faster, even with just one tap. Hence, knowledge is like water, having many sources is good, but it is also important to ensure that there are no leaks that will allow the knowledge to flow out.

This is exactly where TLE come into the picture. Once the weaker executive function skills can be strengthen by nurturing both brain-based skills and cognitive processes, we strongly believe BB would be better positioned to not just excel academically, but beyond the classroom as well. With that belief, we actually signed him up after the 3 trial lessons. The Revolution is well underway!

Disclaimer: Financial compensation was not received for this post. The trial lessons are kindly sponsored by TLE but opinions expressd here are BB's & mine ^.~